CLUTTER!

One of the biggest banes of my life.

Sometimes I feel like Marley's ghost.....

...... only my chain is made up of every scrap of cr*p that has been hoarded in and around this house over the years. At times, despite all best intentions on my part, that chain has just seemed to keep on getting longer and longer...... and most especially with the help of my DH and DS. :0(

DH has a seriously bad habit of storing dead electrical items around the house "just in case they might come in useful some time". I guess it comes from being an electrical engineer and thus having a strong interest in these things but it's still a right royal pain in the ass having these dead items sat taking up much needed space *grrrr*. Well, I finally managed to persuade him that we really don't need them, that we need the space much more, and that they should be allowed to go to the big electronics graveyard down the road.... the electronics skip at the local amenities site. Yay!

Bet you're wondering why I'm making such a song and dance about it. Well..... there are two old computer monitors (about obsolete, thanks to flatscreens), a huge VCR that came from my Dad's (which is definitely now obsolete, even if DH ever did manage to fix it) and an old family-sized George Foreman grill - all of them big, bulky items that add to the overall look of the place that is somewhat reminiscent of a tinkers scrapyard.

He duly took the lot to the amenities site on Saturday afternoon, despite the lousy weather, and while he was going he also took a plastic patio chair with a broken leg and a dilapidated old wicker laundry basket - both of which were stored down the side of the house and were nothing more than tripping hazards. Once that little lot had gone I felt a lovely sense of relief - like part of the weight had been lifted, that chain getting a little lighter. Result! Is it only me or does anyone else feel like that when getting rid of clutter?

In case you think it's all one-sided I can assure you it's not. I've been having an ongoing de-cluttering session of my own for a long time that's seen no end of stuff come out from the backs of cupboards, wardrobes and drawers to depart this house, never to return again. As many of these unwanted items as possible have been recycled in one way or another.

The bulk of things that go to the council's local amenities site, including those dead electrical items, are recycled by them and any money made from this is donated to various local and national charities. There's a deal of satisfaction in knowing that items we dispose of are not only helping to save some of our Mother Earth's dwindling resources, but they will also go to achieve some good in the world too. :0)

I'm also a huge fan of our local Freecycle site and quite a number of things we no longer need have been gifted to people who can make use of them. It's another great way of keeping as much stuff out of landfill as possible....... and the old adage of one person's junk being another's treasure certainly holds true. Some of the items re-homed this way: a cycle helmet, cake decorating items, a chest of drawers to someone setting up their first home, bags and bags full of used bubble wrap and Jiffy bags (these can be used more than once - just cut off the back of a used A5 or A4 envelope for an address label) and, most recently, a bag full of toiletries from a bathroom cupboard clear-out, to name a few. I can recommend Freecycle, not only as a useful recycling venue, but as a nice way of spreading a little good will around. :0)

My battle against clutter continues......

Blessings